Fortitudo, De Kracht. NL-HlmNHA 1477 53008505

A muscular woman in classical drapery stands against a landscape, physically supporting the weight of a massive, solid column. She looks downward with a determined expression, her stance emphasizing the physical burden of the architectural element. In the background, a rugged cliffside shows the faint outlines of distant buildings and ruins.

As part of a series on the Seven Virtues, this work represents the Neo-Stoic and Neoplatonic emphasis on moral strength and endurance required for the soul's refinement. The imagery reflects the intellectual environment of late 16th-century Haarlem, where artists like Goltzius collaborated with philosophers like Dirck Coornhert to visualize complex ethical systems based on the cultivation of the will.